Rolled steel guard rail



Mar. 3. 1925.

N. E. SALSICH ROLLED STEEL GUARD RAIL Filed July 17, 1925 Patented Mar. 3, 1925,

UNITED STATES NEIL E. SALSICITI, y01E* BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLED STEEL GUARD RAIL.

Application fue@ July 1v. 1923. serial No. 652,039.

To all whomy t may concern: f

Be it known vthat I, NEIL E. SALsroH, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Bethlehem, Lehigh County, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rolled Steel Guard Rails, of which the following is a specifica fied form of my improved guard rail contion.

My invention relates to rolled steel guard rails for railway rails and it has for its object to provide apparatus of this character which shall be capable of being economically made from rolled shapes and which, when installed, shall afford a strong and durable guard rail construction.

More particularly, an object of my invention is to provide guard rails made from rolled rail sections with no orlittle bending at the ends in order to provide flaring wheel flange entrance spaces. If rails used for this purpose are of suflicient weight, the sections are entirely straight from end to end and parallel to the main rail, metal being removed from the ends of the guard rail in order to provide flaring wheel flange en trance spaces; however, in case the weight of rails used for this purpose is lsuch that an undue amount of metal would be removed at the ends in order to provide wheel flange entrance f spaces, the ends are bent just enough' to provide for removal of metal without undue weakening. f

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction of'the character referred to in which a flange ofthe guard rail shall underlap a flange of the main rail .in order to resist tilting movement of the former due to lateral thrusts.

'A further object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a guard rail of the character referred to, suitable tie plates which shall pass under both rails, preferably welded to the flanges of the guard rail, and serve as a force-transmitting means ber tween the rails to resist relative movement of one with respect to the other.

Apparatus made in accordance with my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this applica- 50 tion, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a part of the main rail and cross ties with the guard rail construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a' cross section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modistruction; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the tie plates detached.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show a guard rail 10 made from a rolled shape and arranged adjacent to a main rail 11. As shownthe guard rail 10 comprises a head portion 12, a web 13, and lateral flanges 11i and 15. The main rail 11 consists of' a head portion 16, a web 17, and lateral flanges 18 and 19.

The guard rail 1.0 has its flange 14 adjacent to the main rail depressed or rolled down, as maybe seen from Figures 2, 3'

and 4, so as to underlap the adjacent flange 18 of the main rail.

With the type of guard rail just referred to, a special type of connection between the rails is necessary in order to resist relative movement thereof; and this connection will now be described. For this purpose, I show tie plates 21, which are shown as being of sufficient length to span a pair of ties 22 and the upper surfaces thereof serve as supporting surfaces for the substantially coplanar bottom surfaces 23 and 24C of the guard rail 10'and the main rail 11; however,it is to be understood that atie plate might be provided for each tie, it being merely necessary to slot it where it rests on a tie to provide clearance for the underlapping flange. Each tie plate 21 is provided with spike receiving openings 25 adapted to receive spikes which cooperate with the outer flange 15 of the guard rail. At the other side, each tie plate isV provided ywith spike receiving openings 26 of eschelon formation in order that the guard rail may be correctly positioned with respect to the main rail. When the spikes are driven, they effectively connect the rails to the plate, the latter then serving to resist any spreading tendency of the rails.

.Each portion of a tie plate 21 resting on Ato a tie 22 is provided with a slot or opening 27, as shown in Figures l, 3, 4 and 6, to afford clearance spaces for the underlapping flange lll. lf tie plates of sufficient length to span pairs of ties-are used, each plate of this character is provided with a connecting portion or neclr 28, between-the slots 27 and which is curved to provide clearance space for the underlapping flange. As shown in Figures 3 and 1, the guard rail has welded connections at Q9 between the outer .flange l5 thereof and the tie plate 2l and welded connections at 30 `between the edge of the depressed flange 14 and the adjacent edge of a slot The welded connections are advantageous particularly in transporting and in installing the rails. Such connections serve to strengthen an installation, however, it is to be Iunderstood that the welded connections may be omitted for the reason that the spikes serve to connect the rails and the tie plates. The connecting portions or necls QS-of thetie plates approximately span the space between ties and they serve as force-transmitting means in order to resist relative movement of one rail `with respect tothe other.

it is customary yto provide flarng spaces between the ends of guard rails and adjacent main rails Accordingly, therefore, with the construction shown in Figures l to i, inclusive, where the guard rail i0 comprises a straight rolled rail arranged parallel to the main rail, l show the ends tapered off, as indicated from the points 32 Preferably metal is removed at the ends so as to provide faces 34 which are inclined both with respect to the longitudinal and vertical axes of the guard rail. The removal of metal to provide? flaring wheel flange entrance spaces at the ends or the guard rail it) with the faces inclined away from the main rail and wfzth respect to the vertical brings into play themaximum effect to constrain wheel flanges to move toward the head of the main rail, the divergency with respect to the longitudinal axis of lthe mainrail serving to guide wheel flanges toward the head ofthe main ral and the inclination of the face 'Si down- 'wardly towardzthe` mainrail, serving to utilize' the force ofgravity at least to some extent in order to guidev wheel flanges `toward the'head of the main rail.

Incase 'the guard rail is made of such light weightf as to result in undue removal ofv metalor weakening at the ends, if the guard rails are made of straight sections as yindicated 1n Figure l, then asmuch metal isL removed from the ends of the guard rail wheel@y flange :entrance wspaces, k,extending Ybar shape cut to length.

from the points 36 to the bends 35, the outer portions between the bends 35 and the ends serving as reinforcements, may be provided. 1li/.letal is removed from the ends of the guard rail l0 in the same manner referred to in connection with Figure l. lith guard rails of light weight, therefore, the flaring spaces at the ends are provided by removal of metal as far as expedient and then by bending as far as necessary to provide adequate flaring wheel flange entrance spaces.

A foot guard 38 of uniform cross section is riveted or welded to the web portion 13 of the guard rail and it .includes a'` flange '-39 extending horizontally to a longitudinal linebelow the head portion 16 ofthe main rail and between it and the flange 18.` It is preferably formed of a standard Aangle p The vertical flan-ge it) of the foot guard fits thesidevofy the web i3 of the guard rail andthis foot guard preferably Aextends 'throughout fthe full length of the guard rail. It serves to' prevent the collection of masses of snow and vice between the rails and makes it easy to remove such as may collect on it. At each end of the guard rail the horizontal flange 39 of the foot guard is-bent downward as indicated at 42 in Figures 2, '3 and tandis at right angles to the top ofy the guard and its lower edge is so cut as to provide inclined edges 43 correspondingin inclination to the tog surface of the flange el'Slof ther-rail. The

edges'r are sufficiently vclose `to -the flange 18 to resist outward tilting movement of the main rail ll. The foot guard construction will not be more particularly referred 1to as it is disclosed and claimedinmy'application Serial No. 652,040, filed July '17, 192e.

From the foregoing it will fbe apparent that I have provided a guard rail which may be made from rolled rails; it beingunnecessary to bend the ends ofthe rail in order to provide flaring-wheel flange-entrance spaces vif the weight of rail issufficient; and,in case the weightiof trails-used for this purpose is; insufficient to 4provide adequate material at thc` ends-after metal is removed, then as much-metal is removed as -is "advisable after which the end portions forms, it wllbe obvious to those skilled -in the art that it isnot solimited, butiis susceptible of various other chan-ges and modifications" without departing from' the spirit thereof, and I desire,vtherefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon lou as are imposed by the prior' art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.l

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a main rail, of a rolled guard rail of `approxiinatelyf' the same height as the main rail and tie plates connected to the guard rail for supporting if both rails7 the main rail flange overlapping Vthe guard rail flange and their edges being parallel throughout the entire length of the guard rail and the guard line face of the head of the guard rail being oblique tothe main rail in a longitudinal direction for a short distance from each end of the guard rail forming flaring end portions of the space between said rails for the flanges of the wheels.

2. The combination with a main rail, of a rolled guard rail of approximately the same height as the main rail and tie plates connected to the guard rail for supporting both rails and each extending across two adjacent ties, the main rail flange overlapping the guard rail flange and the guard line face of the head of the guard rail being oblique to the main rail in a longitudinal direction for a short distance from each end of the guard rail forming flaring end portions of the space between said rails for the flanges of car wheels.

3. The combination with a main rail, of a rolled guard rail of approximately the same height as the main rail and tie plates connected to the guard rail for supporting both rails, the main rail ila-nge overlapping the guard rail flange, the web of the guard rail being parallel. throughout its length to that of the main rail and the guard line face of the head of the guard rail being tions of the space between said rails for the flanges of car wheels.

Ll-. In a railroad structure, the combination of a main rail and a rolled guard rail of substantially the same height as the main rail, tie plates connected to the guard rail for supporting loot-h rails on ythe ties the flange of the guard rail being depressed and forming a seat for the flange of the main rail, the web of the guard rail being parallel to the web Kof the main rail, the metal normally forming the guard line vertical face of the head of the guard rail being removed at its ends and for a short distance longitudinally therefrom, producing faces in planes at a slight angle to the normal face` resulting in flaring end portions of the passageway between said rails for the flange of a car wheel.

5. In a railroad structur the combination of a main rail, a guard rail having oppositely-exfcnding flanges, one of said flanges underlapping a flange of the main rail, a series of tie plates for supporting the guard and main rails, and each of said plates being provided with clearance space for the underlapping fiange of the guard rail, and welded connections between the outer edge of said underlapping flange and the tie plates.

G. In a railroad structure, the combination of a main rail, a guard rail having oppositely extending fianges,- one of said flanges underlapping a flange of the main rail, a'series of tie plates for supporting the guard and main rails, each of said tie plates having a clearance space ei-tcnding parallel to the rails, and welded connections between the outer edge of the yunderlapping flange of 'the guard rail and similar edges ofthe clearance spaces and between the outer edge of the other flange offsaid guard rail and the top surfaces of the tie plates.

7. In a railroad structure`r the combination of a main rail, a guard rail having a flange which underlaps a flange of the. main rail, and a series of tie plates for supporting the guard and main rails, each tie plate adapted to span a pair of railroad ties and being provided with a clearance space for the underlapping flange and vwhich extends substantially parallel to the rails.

8. In a railroad structure, the combination of a main rail, a guard rail having a flange which underlaps a flange of the main rail, and a series of tie plates for supporting the guard and main rails. each tie plate adapted to span a pair of railroad ties and being provided with a clearance space eX- tending substantially parallel to the rails throughout the tie-engaging portions thereof for the underlapping flange, the portion of each tie plate between the ties of each pair being bent down to afford clearance for the underlapping flange.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a tie plate for supporting main and guard rails, the tie plate'having end portions for securement to railroad ties, each end portion being provided with a slot extending substantially parallel to the sides 'of the plate which are transverse to the ties, the material of the plate between the adjacent ends of the slots being depressed to define a clearance space in line with said slot-s.

10. The combination with a mainr rail, of a guard rail consisting of a rolled section and having its ends tapered to define flaring wheel-flange entrance spaces.

ll. The combination with a main rail, of a guard rail comprising a rolled section arranged parallel to the main rail and having the ends of its head portion tapered off' to define flaring Wheel-flange entrance spaces.

12. The combination with a main rail, of

a guard rail comprising a rolled section having the ends lof its head portion tapered olin to define wheel-flange entrance spaces with respect to the inain rail and having one flange underlapping. a flange of' the main rail and means for securing the guard rail in position with respect to the inain rail.

13. The combination with a niain rail, of a. guard rail comprising; a rolled section having the ends of its head portiontapered 0H to define Wheel-flange entrance spaces with respect to the inain rail and having one flange underlapping a flange of the main rail, tie plates extending beneath the rails, and Weld connections between the edges of the guard rail flanges and the tie plates.

14. rlhe combination with a inain rail, of a guard rail comprising' a rolled section having the ends of its head portion tapered olf to define Wheel-flange entrance spaces with respect to the inain rail and having one flange uuderlapping a flange of the inainrail, and tiei plates extending beneath the railseach tie plate. having` spike-receiving openings contiguous to the edges of the outside flanges ol the inain and guard rails.

15. The combination with a n'iain rail, of a guard rail comprising a. rolled section having the ends of its head portion tapered off to define Wheel-flange entrance spaces with respect to the main rail and having one flange underlapping a flangeof the inain rail, tie plates extending beneath the rails and having a clearance space for the underlapping flange7 and Weld connections hetween the flanges of the guard railand the tie plates.

In testinionv whereof l hereunto allix my signature this 5th dav of Julyv 1923.

NEIL ESALSICH. 

